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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, On December 16, 2014, Sarah R. Saldaña of Dallas won |
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confirmation from the U.S. Senate as assistant secretary in charge |
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of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the Department of |
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Homeland Security, and this impressive milestone in her career is a |
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fitting occasion to commend her for her many achievements; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Corpus Christi, Ms. Saldaña earned her |
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bachelor's degree summa cum laude from Texas A&I University; after |
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working as an eighth-grade language arts teacher in Dallas schools, |
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she went on to work for the U.S. Department of Labor and the |
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Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as for the |
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Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, before earning her law |
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degree from Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law in |
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1984; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Saldaña began her legal career as a law clerk to |
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the Honorable Barefoot Sanders of the U.S. District Court, Northern |
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District of Texas, then moved into private practice at Haynes & |
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Boone LLP and Baker Botts LLP; during those years, she also taught |
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legal writing and research at the Dedman School of Law; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2004, Ms. Saldaña entered public service as an |
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assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, |
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prosecuting cases in bank and mortgage fraud, civil rights, human |
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trafficking, and public corruption; in 2009, she became deputy |
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criminal chief of the Northern District, where she managed the |
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major fraud and public corruption section; and |
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WHEREAS, Two years later, this outstanding prosecutor was |
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nominated by President Barack Obama to be the United States |
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attorney for the Northern District of Texas, and she started in |
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September 2011, becoming the first Latina chief federal prosecutor |
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in Texas; in her new position with the Department of Homeland |
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Security, she will likewise be the first Hispanic woman to lead ICE; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Saldaña is a member of the William "Mac" Taylor |
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American Inn of Court, the Dallas and Texas Bar Foundations, and the |
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Dallas Bar Association; her extensive community service includes |
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membership on the board of the Dallas Center for Contemporary Art |
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and the City of Dallas Zoning Board of Adjustment, and her many |
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awards include recognition as the Latina Attorney of the Year by the |
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Hispanic National Bar Association in 2011; and |
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WHEREAS, Sarah Saldaña's intelligence, expertise, and |
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commitment to the law have greatly benefited the citizens of Texas |
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and earned her the deep and lasting respect of her peers, and she |
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may indeed reflect with pride on all that she has accomplished as |
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she takes on the challenges and opportunities of her important new |
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position; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Sarah R. Saldaña on her |
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confirmation as assistant secretary in charge of Immigration and |
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Customs Enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security and |
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extend to her sincere best wishes for success in her new position; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Saldaña as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |